Children's Home run by Hillcrest Children‟s Services (2) Limited in Staffordshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This has been an unsettled home since the last inspection. There has been a number of young people leave and new young people coming to live at the home. The admission of new young people is not managed well. The registered manager has failed to ensure a robust assessment is completed prior to accepting new residents. Rigorous evaluation of information provided by the local authority pertaining to young people is not undertaken. This leads to accepting young people who have a range of extremely complex needs without confidence the staff can meet those needs and the services required in place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Compatibility risk assessments are poor in respect of the young people admitted and those already residing at the home. Assessment records list the known behaviours of young people and some potential risks but these are minimal, lacking information and risk analysis. They do not adequately consider the potentially negative impact behaviours may have upon other young people. As a result, the safety of young people and staff are negatively affected.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of bullying and intimidation have taken place between young people. The registered manager has had to ensure that staff constantly monitor young people, and young people cannot be left alone. This is in response to incidents of violence between young people and bullying. Staff have completed individual work with the young people and discussed these incidents openly in attempt to change this situation and improve relationships. This has not been successful and has led to young people living, at times in a difficult environment marked by aggression and intimidation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have experienced a high number of physical interventions since the last inspection. These interventions have taken place in response to violent incidents of young people damaging property and attempting to assault staff and other young people. The physical intervention incidents have been proportionate and required to prevent harm. Incidents of physical intervention are not always recorded well, lacking specific detail regarding the length of time a young person was being restrained for. This is a shortfall and prevents Ofsted being confident interventions of this nature are being undertaken in accordance with regulation. The registered manager has utilised agency workers to provide additional staffing ratios to young people in attempt to manage incidents of confrontational and violent behaviour. This provides additional resources to help contain difficult situations, but fails to prevent incidents as behaviour management plans lack a

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

coherent strategy and are not consistently implemented in practice. Consequently, there continues to be regular incidents of physical interventions taking place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff value and maintain good relationships with family members. Young people are supported to maintain contact with those important to them, working within agreed multi-agency plans for contact. For example, one young person’s contact with his family has increased. He is, as a result gaining an enhanced understanding of his family and the reasons why he came into care. He is now more settled, confident and making progress in many areas of his life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s education is a priority. The registered manager and staff value and place a crucial importance on regular school attendance. Young people access education provision from a school operated by the organisation. Staff members attend school with the young people to offer added support. One young person, to his credit is attaining 100% attendance and making progress. The head teacher stated in the young person’s report, ‘he is fully engages in whole school activities, trips and extracurricular activities. Overall encouraging report which demonstrates his potential for the future’. Those young people who cannot cope with a school environment, the home in conjunction with the school provide home education. The overall aim is to improve behaviour and academic ability to support young people into an educational setting.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working is good. For example, there is regular contact with social workers and other agencies. One social worker commented, ‘There is good communication, this is a real strength, I receive reports and receive regular updates’. The registered manager has ensured there are regular meetings with school and health professionals. The psychotherapist working within the organisation is a regular attender to the home and offers specialist therapeutic support to the young people and provides advice and guidance to staff members.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been some instability with staffing. Two senior care workers have recently left, leaving vacancies that the registered manager is in the process of recruiting to these vacancies. The home regularly uses agency staffing and additional staff from neighbouring homes in the organisation to ensure the staffing levels are adequate. The registered manager ensures that agency staff are utilised minimally and that appropriate checks made to ensure their suitability to work with children in relation to adequate vetting and their qualifications. Staff members receive regular supervision and guidance from the registered manager and their practice improved through access to a good level of training and development opportunities. The registered manager understands the crucial importance to young people’s progress in maintaining a stable and consistent staff team. She is working hard to achieve this. Consequently, this means there is a committed staff

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

group wanting to improve the service for the benefit of the young people being cared for.

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for not more than three children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is operated and managed by a private organisation. 

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure- (2)(a) that staff have and communicate a shared understanding of- (i) the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care. 09/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure- (c) that staff- (viii) de-escalate confrontational or potentially violent behaviour wherever possible to avoid the use of physical restraint. 09/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure- (2)(a) that staff- (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account the information in his or her relevant plans (ii) make arrangements to reduce the risk of harm to each child taking account of that information (iii) protect each child effectively from harm. 09/05/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the 09/05/2016 use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which incudes-a description of the measure and its duration (Regulation 35(3)(a)(iv)).

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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